The Home Cook: Frosted Banana Bars

I have a horrible, horrible habit. I buy fruit, usually more fruit than I can eat...unless its apples, I can always eat up the apples. But in the world of fruit, there is only one that can be redeemed after it's spent too long lingering in a slow and painful decline. The banana. This bad boy of the fruit world is actually better once it's gone south...mostly because it transitions from fruit to dessert ingredient. Best thing ever, banana based foods rock our world. Especially since in cooked form (most notably baked) Tim can eat them and not die a nasty death via anaphylactic shock. So to use up a batch of ready to bake bananas, I have scrounged up and tried many a recipe...but this one is by far the best. A cake like bar that tastes more of banana bread than banana brownie is topped with rich cream cheese frosting. Delish.

Frosted Banana Bars

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 1/2 cups White Sugar

2 Eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 cups All-Purpose or White Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Ripe Bananas, mashed

Frosting

6 oz Cream Cheese, softened

6 Tablespoon Butter, softened

3 cups, Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Bars: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10"x15" jelly-roll pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; slowly stir in to the butter and sugar mixture just until moistened. Stir in the banana. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool before frosting.

Recipe courtesy Allrecipes.com, as submitted by Delta

Frosting:In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat together cream cheese and butter until blended. Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla just until blended. Increase speed to medium. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

Recipe courtesy The GoodHousekeeping Cookbook C2001